


You Make My Dawn

by mintyhoney



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, TamaIo Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:01:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24953449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintyhoney/pseuds/mintyhoney
Summary: A collection of drabbbles written of For TamaIo Week 2019 based on the following themes:Day 1 - RabbitDay 2 - ChildhoodDay 3 - HomeDay 4 - First TimeDay 5 - SweetsDay 6 - Role ReversalDay 7 - Dream
Relationships: Izumi Iori & Yotsuba Tamaki
Kudos: 11





	1. Day 1 - Rabbit

“Tamaki-kun, you should get some rest before we reach Osaka,” Sogo said. The sound of papers shuffling mixed with the quiet clatter of the train on the rails.

“Mmm...,” the high school student mumbled in response. 

Feeling his eyes start to close, Tamaki sank into his seat a little more hoping to get some rest before they reached their final destination. While flying would have been faster, Banri was kind enough to book them bullet train tickets to account for Tamaki’s uneasiness for flying. MEZZO” had a special press tour for their latest single, keeping them as busy as ever. 

Just as sleep was about to take over, a light buzz in his pocket kept Tamaki awake. With his eyes still closed, he reached down to his phone to see what notification had gone off. Tamaki slowly opened his eyes to reveal that he had received a rabbit chat message from Iori. Summer break may have just started, but that certainly didn’t stop Iori from keeping the both of them on top of their studies outside of school.

**Iori:** Yotsuba-san, do not forget to work on the math assignment that was handed out to us.

“O-K Iorin,” Tamaki said aloud as he had typed out his response.

He had scrolled through his Rabbit Chat stickers to see which one he should send to Iori. Satisfied with his choice, Tamaki sent a sticker of one of the Usamimi Friends blowing a kiss with hearts around it. Immediately, Iori’s speech bubble had appeared on the screen with “typing...” before it had immediately disappeared. There was no new message, however the speech bubble had popped on and off for a good minute before Tamaki got an actual response back.

**Iori:** OK

Tamaki laughed softly to himself knowing full well that Iori was too embarrassed to respond right away. Sliding his phone back into his pocket, Tamaki assumed his previous position to sleep the remaining few hours left on the train. 

“Sou-chan, remind me to pick up a cute souvenir when we’re in Osaka,” he said, failing to contain his yawn towards the end of it. While Iori may not have been able to fully express himself via Rabbit Chat, Tamaki looked forward to seeing what sort of face Iori will make when he hands Iori his gift. His lips curled into a smile as he was finally starting to drift into sleep.


	2. Day 2 - Childhood

For as long as Iori could remember, his childhood was filled the warmth of fresh baked goods and watching his parents decorate cakes with cute rabbits and bears for their next customer. Whenever his parents would allow him into the cake shop, he would gaze in awe over all of the different cake designs through the display case. He’s not sure when his affinity for cute things started but it probably started in that cake shop.

Summer break may have started for the perfect high school student but that did not mean he was able to take off from his usual idol activities. From vocal to dance practices, variety shows to assisting Tsumugi with her manager tasks, Iori was certainly busy.

However, every so often, he would be given a day off. On this particular day, Iori and Mitsuki decided to spend their day off visiting their parents. Their parents didn’t live too far from them, but with how popular IDOLiSH7 has become, it was getting increasingly more difficult to go out in their usual disguises.

Mitsuki and Iori were discussing what kind of meal their parents would be making tonight during their visit until a familiar melody rang from Iori’s school bag. He promptly checked his phone for whom the notification could be from.

**Tamaki** : IORIN! LOOK AT HOW LARGE THIS CRAB IS!

Attached to this message was a photo of Tamaki posing like a crab in front of a takoyaki stand in Dotonbori. A small smile escaped from Iori’s usual cool demeanor as he reminisced over the last time all of IDOLiSH7 went on a trip to Osaka. It was early on in their career and while it was chaotic to wrangle all seven of them, they were still some of Iori’s favorite memories.

“Oi! Iori! What are you smiling at?” Mitsuki asked with a mischievous smile.

“It’s just a message from Yotsuba-san, Nii-san,” the younger brother replied back as he put his phone away. He had briefly forgotten they were in the middle of a conversation before his phone had gone off.

“Speaking of Tamaki, we should bring him a cake from the shop! I haven’t been able to bake anything special lately. It’ll be a good excuse to celebrate MEZZO”’s new single! He and Sogo should be back from Osaka by tomorrow if I remember correctly,” Mitsuki said as they arrived in front of their parent’s shop.

A small bell rang above the door as the elder brother opened the door. It wasn’t long before they were both greeted by their mother from behind the counter. Their dad joined the storefront not too long after. Fortunately, it was a weekday and there were no customers around to interrupt this small Izumi family reunion.

As Mitsuki was catching their parents up on what they have been up to, Iori noticed a cake on display that had a small card indicating it was a new item on the menu. Iori carefully took out his phone to take a photo and quickly sent a message.

“Okaa-san, is it alright if we took this cake back with us?” Iori asked.

Mitsuki looked over at the display case Iori stood in front of and noticed which cake specifically he had selected. The orange haired boy grinned and threw Iori a thumbs up in response after their mom gave them the ok to take the cake home.

Iori’s phone played that same melody once more. He briefly checked to see if he was given the response he wanted. The message was without a doubt in response to the image he had sent just moments before. It was a close-up photo of just the word “pudding” from the display case.

**Tamaki** : Pudding? Are you eating King Pudding without me?! Save me some Iorin!

“Cute....” Iori said under his breath. He chose not to respond to the rabbit chat message and put away his phone. Sometimes there were moments where Iori felt his chest tighten over how cute something or someone could be. In those moments, words usually failed him, and his response would fall short.

Iori spent the rest of the evening with his family just as planned. Mitsuki made note of how much softer Iori’s eyes looked until they got back to the dorm. Though Iori may not have said it out loud, it was obvious he was looking forward to a certain someone coming back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I had originally written Day 2 of the challenge, I wanted to continue on the same timeline that I had started on Day 1's challenge and explore Iori's point of view. I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Day 3 - Home

Tamaki didn’t understand how Sogo managed to wear long sleeves in the summer. In addition to dragging their luggage from the nearest train stop back to the dorm, Tamaki’s duet partner hardly broke a sweat. IDOLiSH7’s sexiest member, on the other hand, could hardly move in the summer heat without uttering a word of complaint. 

“Souuuu-chaaannn...are we almost there yet?” Tamaki groaned as he felt another bead of sweat drip down his neck. 

“We’re just a street away Tamaki-kun. Do you need me to pull your luggage for you?” Sogo responded in his usual calm tone. With the MEZZO” press tour being such a success, Sogo was more patient than usual with Tamaki since they had gotten along for the most part, save for the convenience store trip cut short in order to make their train. Tamaki wasn’t too pleased to buy one less King Pudding, but he will live.

Just as Sogo was about to reach for Tamaki’s luggage, the high schooler grunted and took a longer stride forward. 

“Ah I’ll be fine if we’re almost there,” Tamaki said, wanting to get back to air conditioning as soon as possible. Sogo laughed softly to himself as he followed suit.

As soon as Tamaki opened the door to the dorm, a breeze of cool air greeted him as he kicked off his shoes and nearly laid down by the entryway.

“Welcome home- ah Tamaki! What are you doing on the floor?” a familiar voice had greeted. It was none other than IDOLiSH7’s center, Riku. 

Sogo, who was just behind Tamaki, closed the door behind him and placed his shoes neatly with the other shoes that belonged to the other 6 members. 

“We’re back,” Sogo greeted Riku. Reaching for Tamaki’s arm, he tried to pull him up gently. “Tamaki-kun, let’s drop off our stuff in our rooms and get cleaned up,” 

“Mmmmmmm,” Tamaki groaned in response as he sluggishly got up and made his way down the hall. 

The familiar smell of home mixed with whatever was brewing in the kitchen was inviting. Passing by the kitchen, Mitsuki can be seen making what appears to be a feast. 

“Oi! Welcome back you two! Get ready for dinner. It should be done in a few minutes,” Mitsuki hollered in their direction. 

It wasn’t too long before all other members started to filter back into the living space and took their place at the table. Since MEZZO” had been traveling so frequently, Tamaki wasn’t able to relax and feel entirely himself. His first home cooked meal back at the dorm with all his closest friends melted away any stress he was feeling. Being with everyone just felt like home.

Throughout dinner, Tamaki has noticed Iori fidgeting anytime they made eye contact. 

“Maybe Iorin has something on his mind,” Tamaki thought to himself. 

He kept his gaze on the other high schooler’s direction. Iori’s head turned slightly left and for a brief moment their eyes met. Their stares only lasted for a second, but Tamaki could feel his pulse start to rise. Iori quickly looked away. Unsure of what to say to the other high schooler, Tamaki continued along with the rest of the group’s conversation. 

As dinner came to an end, Mitsuki announced that they had a special surprise. The older Izumi brother looked over at the younger and asked him to retrieve whatever the surprise was. Looking distressed, Iori gets up from his seat and heads to the kitchen. Between some of the small chatter amongst others, Iori made his way back to the table with something in his hands. Tamaki’s eyes immediately lit up. There in front of him was a cake that said, “Congratulations MEZZO”!” 

“SO BEAUTIFUL!” Nagi exclaimed.

“Ne ne Mitsuki what kind of cake is this?” Riku asked with equal excitement. 

Mitsuki looks at Iori with mischievous eyes and a smirk. 

“That’s a good question Riku. I don’t know. Say Iori, what cake did you pick out?” he responded.

Disgruntled at the situation he was put in, Iori responded meekly, “It’s Pudding Cheesecake...”

Tamaki shouts with absolute joy. 

“UWAHHHH AMAZING! There’s even a small King Pudding drawn on here!”

Tamaki’s eyes looked up at Iori, catching Iori’s brief smile before looking away once more. As Mitsuki cuts and distributes each slice, only Riku, Nagi, Mitsuki, and Tamaki took their share of the cake before they started to wander to different parts of the dorm. Yamato, Sogo, and Iori passed on the cake and bid the others a good night as they started to head down the hall back to their respective rooms while the others remained in the living room. Nagi invited the others to watch some reruns of Magical Girl Kokona. While Tamaki would normally stay to watch, he also bid the others a good night and made his way down the hall with cake still in hand. He stopped in front of a door that wasn’t his own. Double checking his pockets and taking a deep breath, he gently knocked on the door. 

“Come in.” Iori responded from the other side. 

“Iorin, can I eat the King Pudding cake in your room?” Tamaki asked nonchalantly as he opened the door. 

“Yotsuba-san, you should eat that in the kitchen,” he replied without looking up from his desk. Though Iori had finished all of his school work within the first week of summer break, he wanted to remain occupied and continued to flip through his text book. 

Tamaki ignored his words and walked over to Iori’s desk where he placed the cake along with two forks down on the surface. 

“Did you really pick out this cake?” he asked, looking down at Iori.

“Nii-san and I were visiting home the other day and thought that we should bring back a gift to share with the others,” Iori said without looking up. 

Tamaki was not satisfied with that response. “Hn....Iorin, if you aren’t honest, then I won’t give you your gift.”

“Gift?” When Iori turned to face Tamaki, he was suddenly greeted with two hands holding each side of his face. 

“You finally looked at me!” Tamaki said, smiling. He let go of Iori’s face from his hands and started to pull something out from his pocket. “Ta-da! Your gift from me!” 

In front of Iori was a keychain of a blue bunny mascot wearing a small T-shirt that says “OSAKA” on it. Tamaki watched Iori’s eyes light up briefly before he looked away again covering his face with the back of his hand.

“Don’t be ridiculous Yotsuba-san! This was an unnecessary gift.” Iori immediately responded. 

There were times where Tamaki wished Iori was more honest with his feelings, but there were also times he found this side of Iori to be extremely cute. Despite what he had said, Iori took the keychain from Tamaki’s grasp and placed it on his desk. 

It suddenly occurred to Tamaki that on Iori’s desk was their homework assignment.

“Ah! Iorin! I forgot to finish this! Let’s eat King Pudding cake and work on this together!”

Iori sighed, “Only because we can’t afford to have you fail any courses this year,” 

The two of them spent the remainder of the evening sharing a slice of pudding cheesecake and finishing their summer homework assignment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing Day 3 as the sort of completer piece to Day 1 & Day 2. Tamaki is always aware of others so it's no surprised that he is ultra aware of Iori's tendencies hehe.


	4. Day 4 - First Time

Since becoming an idol, Iori has experienced a lot of “firsts”. His first time singing on stage, first time messing up in front of anyone, and even his first time being vulnerable enough to cry. Despite his perfect high school student demeanor, he was still a 17-year-old with very little experiences in life. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would find himself in this predicament.

He could feel his cheeks slowly rise in temperature until it felt like his entire body was on fire. Iori had stopped breathing momentarily to take in just how close Tamaki was to him. The other boy’s eyes were closed and all Iori could think about was just how long Tamaki’s eyelashes were. Iori wanted to take in this moment and burn it into his memory. He closed his eyes and remained still trying to recount just how this all started.

With how popular Tamaki is among their fans, he has been casted in a variety of jobs, from modeling to variety shows to now acting in a drama. Iori was sitting at his desk organizing some paperwork before he would have left school for the day. In the corner of his eye, a familiar figure had turned the chair around in front of Iori’s desk and sat down. Iori looked up and saw Tamaki with a serious face. 

“Iorin, I need your help,” Tamaki stated. His usual relaxed eyes were nowhere to be found. Taken aback by the sudden request, Iori tried to conjure up any potential reason that Tamaki would need his help.

Iori sighed as he started to pack up his things. “What is it Yotsuba-san? If you’re asking if we can stop by the convenience store for more King Pudding- “ 

“I need you to help me practice for a love confession.” Iori froze, unable to clearly process what was being asked of him. Thinking back on his recent conversation with Tsumugi, she did mention that Tamaki was casted to be the main love interest in an upcoming high school drama.

Turning away from Tamaki’s direct stare, Iori did his best to keep his voice stable. 

“Y-Yotsuba-san, why don’t you try asking Sogo or your co-star?” 

“No. It has to be you,” Tamaki responded point-blank. The other boy could feel his heart rate slowly rise. “Please help just this once!” 

Tamaki clapped his hands together and bowed his head down to fully express his desperation. While Iori had his reservations on this situation, he surveyed the classroom to see if anyone was around and realized they were the only ones left remaining. For the sake of efficiency, he supposed this would be the most opportune time to help Tamaki out. 

“Fine, but you only have 10 minutes. We still have to get to the studio to practice for our next event,” Iori said as he stood up from his seat. 

“Thank you Iorin!” Tamaki’s eyes and smile were almost blinding.

The two of them made their way to the back corner of the classroom where there was more space for them to move around. Iori wasn’t quite sure what to do in this situation so he stood as he normally did and waited for Tamaki to start.

Tamaki closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was rare for Iori to see this side of him since they were usually given different jobs. When Tamaki opened his eyes, his gaze met directly with Iori. 

“I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a long time,” he started to say as he took a step closer. “It’s been eating me away ever since I first laid eyes on you. We see each other every day but it’s never enough..”

Iori felt his heart drop. Even though he knew Tamaki was acting, he couldn’t believe these words were being directed to him. Tamaki took another step forward. By instinct, Iori took a step back as the proximity between their bodies closed in. It only took a step for Iori to feel his back against the wall, leaving him trapped with no other place to go.

“You’re the only one I want.” Tamaki continued his lines as he took his last step forward and looked down at Iori. They only had about a 10 cm different between them in height, but Iori felt like he was being towered by Tamaki. Before Iori could look away or change his position, Tamaki’s hands came up and gently held Iori’s face. 

“I like you,” Tamaki’s voice was just above a whisper before he leaned in. Iori felt his heart skip a beat. The last thing Iori could remember thinking about was just how close Tamaki’s lips were before he felt it touch his own. His breath was taken away in an instant. It was his first time being kissed by someone, by someone he cared deeply about no less. 

Time seemed to have slowed down around them. The class room was silent and still. Light from the afternoon sun casted shadows against their features. Tamaki’s words may have been fiction, but Iori couldn’t help but think that it was all too perfect. 

Just as he started to feel Tamaki’s lips slowly drag away from him, Iori grabbed Tamaki by the hem of his shirt and deepened the kiss. Iori closed his eyes and thought about how he wanted to keep this moment, this side of Tamaki, and this kiss to himself forever. He hoped that Tamaki would continue to give him many more “firsts” from that day onwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha...can you tell I am very influenced by shoujo manga? I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Day 5 - Sweets

Extreme weather was never Tamaki’s thing. Summers were bad because King Pudding would melt. Winters were also bad because King Pudding would stay cold but then he would be too cold to eat it. IDOLiSH7’s youngest members were walking to school, bundled up in whatever jackets and accessories they could layer on. Despite Iori talking about their upcoming schedule, Tamaki was too distracted by the cold to really focus. Once the school entrance was in their sight, Tamaki started to pick up the pace.

“Yotsuba-san! I’m not done explaining today’s-“ before Iori could finish Tamaki grabbed Iori’s wrist to drag him along. 

“Sorry Iorin! It’s too cold!” 

When they finally made it inside the school, Tamaki had let Iori’s wrist go. Just as he was about to turn around and apologize, he took a good luck at Iori and realized his usual pale face was a little red. 

“Are you feeling okay Iorin?” Tamaki asked.

“O-of course I am! Don’t be ridiculous,” Iori retorted as he attempted to cover his face with his scarf. The two of them walked over to their lockers to swap their shoes for their indoor shoes. When they both opened the door, chocolates and letters had fallen out. Between the two of them, they each had enough to make anyone feel sick eating in one sitting. 

Tamaki bent down and picked up each gift and letter to put into his bag. When he stood back up, he noticed a few of his female classmates looking in his direction, giggling before they shuffled away. The younger boy quickly switched his shoes before walking over to Iori’s locker. 

“Did you also forget it was Valentine’s Day?” Tamaki asked. Iori’s shoulder slumped a little as he let out a resigned sigh. 

“Yes, you are correct. I’m afraid we might be behind schedule if we get stopped for a confession after school today..” While Iori enjoyed making his fans smile, school was usually a getaway from having to keep his cool demeanor on 24/7. 

“Mmm I don’t mind,” Tamaki pondered aloud. “It always makes me feel good to hear someone confess their feelings and give me chocolate.” 

Iori’s expression was not fazed by any of this information. “Yotsuba-san...I hope you’re not giving anyone any wrong ideas,” 

Tamaki laughed wholeheartedly that Iori had even thought that. “Don’t worry Iorin, I will only accept feelings from someone I love,” Looking in Iori’s direction, he winked and continued, “Maybe next year I’ll receive chocolates from you. I’m sure they’ll be yummy!”

Iori stopped walking in response. Tamaki turned back and met Iori’s gray eyes. Iori attempted to cover part of his face with his scarf to hide his blushing face. “Don’t be-“

“I look forward to it Iorin!” Tamaki quickly grabbed Iori by his wrist again. “Let’s go or we’ll be late for class!” 

As they rushed to get to class before the bell rang, Tamaki couldn’t help but wonder what kind of chocolate Iori would make for him next year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh....to attend the same high school as Tamaki and Iori (and ZOOL's Haruka)...I imagine that Iori would make a very simple semi-sweet chocolate gift for Tamaki. Iori seems like the type that wouldn't necessarily gift someone something super extravagant. Ehehe either way I feel like Tamaki would wholeheartedly accept it!


	6. Day 6 - Role Reversal

In the world of entertainment and music, nothing was worse than being injured or sick aside from the usual corruption of agency management. The thought of being unable to perform or a disappointment to fans would be difficult for any idol to bear. For Iori, being sick was not an option. Between balancing school work, being an idol, and helping Tsumugi out with managing IDOLiSH7, Iori could do it all. 

Being bedridden with a fever and aching body was the last thing he wanted. His body felt like it was burning up and his throat had dried out from incessant coughing. Slowly opening his eyes, he turned his head slightly to look for the time. Iori has forgotten that he was no longer in his own room but his brother’s. 

“The last thing a sick person needs is to have to climb down a ladder!” Mitsuki said when he dragged Iori to his own room. As much as Iori loved his space efficient bunk bed, the thought of climbing up a ladder in his physical state was like asking their center Riku to climb Mt Fuji without an oxygen tank. 

Unable to find a clock, he took in more of his surroundings to get a gauge of what time of day it might have been. The only clue that he could find that indicated it was still daytime was the pockets of light that seeped through the window curtain. Iori closed his eyes again hoping that some sleep can help pass the excruciatingly slow day. 

Sometime later, the gentle sound of a door creaking open stirred Iori awake. Footsteps made its way over towards Iori’s direction. Before he could open his eyes, he felt a cool hand touch his forehead. The temperature difference between this interaction alleviated some of the pain. The hand slowly dragged down to his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Just as this hand was pulling away from Iori’s body, Iori quickly reached for this hand and opened his eyes. 

Much to his surprise, the hand belonged to Tamaki. “Yotsuba-san, what are you doing?”

Tamaki’s light blue eyes looked startled for a second before relaxing. “I’m just here to check up on you Iorin.” 

There was a small pout on Tamaki’s lips. The usually rambunctious high schooler looked so small and meek despite his 6’ figure towering over Iori. Iori’s hand still held onto Tamaki’s. If Iori was being honest, he wanted Tamaki to run his hands all over his body to alleviate more of his body’s burning ache and pain. 

“Stay here with me,” Iori demanded. He wasn’t sure what came over him but he wanted nothing more than to be selfish and controlling of Tamaki. Again, those light blue eyes gleamed with surprise. Tamaki nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, his hand still in the other’s grasp. Iori closed his eyes to rest.

Maybe it was the fever causing him to be so bold. Whatever it was that overcame him, Iori felt justified. Someone who was sick shouldn’t be left alone. Not to mention, he was usually the one being dragged around by Tamaki. From having his first kiss stolen to physically being dragged to school on a cold winter day, Iori always felt he was the one caught up in Tamaki’s pace. 

Iori’s heart started to race thinking about all of the events in the past year. He wasn’t sure when Tamaki became such an integral part of his life. Sure they were in the same idol group, lived in the same dorm, and saw each other every day but the same can be said for all of the other members of IDOLiSH7. Tamaki was the only one who made him feel this way. Iori opened his eyes and observed Tamaki who was still on the same position of the bed, never letting go of Iori’s hand once.

“Tamaki,” Iori directed his attention to the other. Tamaki’s eyes shot over to Iori. It wasn’t every day that Iori would call him by his first name, let alone without any honorifics. 

“What’s wrong Iorin-“ 

“I want you to kiss me.”

The room, time, Iori’s breath, and Tamaki froze in place at the sickly boy’s unexpected request. Iori’s expression was his usual seriousness. Before Tamaki could respond, Iori’s grip tightened on Tamaki’s hand as he dragged the larger boy closer. The sudden movement caused Tamaki to lose his balance and falter. He caught his fall by placing his arms on both sides of Iori’s head. 

Iori’s gaze bore into Tamaki’s confused expression. Strands of light blue hair had fallen along Tamaki’s face that hovered above Iori’s. Iori raised his arms and cupped Tamaki’s face in his hands. Iori pulled the other boy closer until he could feel Tamaki’s breath graze his cheek. Without any further hesitation, their lips met. 

Iori closed his eyes and deepened the kiss, hitching his breath in the process. For once, Iori wanted to pull Tamaki along at his own pace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love seeing flustered Iori, but I also really love bold Iori! I hope Iori gets well soon and doesn't get Tamaki sick :x


	7. Day 7 - Dream

Between messing up on a guest’s name on “An IDOLiSH Night With You” and running late for his photo shoot, it was just not Iori’s day. He still had to stop by the Takanashi Production office to drop off some paperwork before returning home for the evening. It was almost 8 PM last he checked so there was probably a dinner plate ready for him to microwave waiting at home courtesy of his older brother. 

Just as he reached for the doorknob, Iori heard faint yelling on the other side of the door. He couldn’t quite distinguish whose voice they belonged to but he knew this was all but good news. Bracing for the worst, Iori walked through the doorway and caught a brief glimpse of Tamaki’s back as the taller boy walked down the hall. 

“Sou-chan! Just listen to me!” Iori could hear Tamaki’s voice echo down the hall. He was uncertain if he should make his presence known and announce his name. All he had to do was drop off his paperwork on Tsumugi’s desk and then leave discreetly. However, Iori had a feeling that something bad was about to happen. Concerned for the other two, Iori took a deep breath and started to make his way down the same hall. 

Anxiety started to sink in with each step he took. The hallway felt eerie with the only light source coming from one of the meeting rooms with the door cracked open ever so slightly. As Iori approached the room, he could hear more muffled voices. He took this as a good sign if Tamaki was no longer yelling. Iori’s hands couldn’t keep still as he pulled the door open slowly to take a peek inside.

“Is everythi-“ Before Iori could even finish his sentence, his heart sank and his voice was lodged in his throat. 

He was like a deer caught in headlights, stuck in this moment in time unable to look away. Tamaki had Sogo pinned down against the tabletop, kissing him intensely. Sogo’s eyes were closed tightly shut and his hands closed into a tight fist, as if trying to resist. 

From afar, Iori noticed Tamaki slowly opened his eyes, causing his flight or fight response to kick in. As much as he wanted to run away, his knees felt weak, barely able to keep himself up. His hand released the doorknob from his tight grip, causing the door to creak ever so slightly. The younger boy’s eyes shot immediately in Iori’s direction. A look of shock flashed in Tamaki’s blue eyes before his expression changed into an apologetic one. Looking away, Tamaki deepened his kiss and closed his eyes once more, as if shutting Iori out from their own world. 

Iori knew he was intruding more than he should. A million thoughts were racing in his head but nothing could get him to flee from this intimate scene. 

Somewhere deep down, Iori knew Tamaki was never really his. There was never a day where Iori didn’t watch Tamaki fall in love. The way Tamaki looked at his phone whenever he got a message from his duet partner, the way Tamaki had to cover his neck with a scarf even though it was too hot for him to wear as if he was hiding any incriminating marks, and even the way he performed on stage with Sogo was starting to feel like a love story was unfolding; the list was endless. 

Iori was finally able to tear his eyes away and shut them tightly. Taking a deep breath, he steadied his breathing. He wanted nothing more than to disappear and fade into darkness that surrounded him.

When he opened his eyes, he was no longer at the office but lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Iori could feel his body burning up and damp clothes with sweat. Everything felt like it was on fire. It was only then that Iori noticed that right next to him was Tamaki. The other boy was fast asleep by his side under the covers. Iori’s mind was in a groggy and half-awaken state. 

“Is this a dream?” he thought to himself, turning to face Tamaki’s sleeping face. He felt his racing heart start to feel at ease.

Tamaki felt so close, yet so far. Iori’s hand reached up and gently touched the side of Tamaki’s face, causing him to shift slightly in his sleep. If this was a dream, then Iori didn’t want it to end. 

“I like you,” Iori softly confessed. These words Iori would never write out in a message nor allow himself to say directly.

There was no immediate response to Iori’s confession. Assuming Tamaki was still asleep, Iori closed his eyes to see if he could force himself awake from yet another dream. 

“Thank you,” Iori heard the boy next to him say. He felt a light kiss grace his forehead, causing his eyes to open in shock. The sight of Tamaki staring back at him made it difficult for Iori to keep his thoughts straight. He wasn’t expecting a response, let alone letting this current scenario play out in his dreams. But, if it’s just a dream, then having some fun couldn’t hurt would it?

“Kiss me properly,” Iori demanded. Tamaki smirked as he moved closer and took Iori’s lips into his own. Iori felt like he was losing his composure with each passing second, everything that he kept locked away in his heart was slowly pouring out. He felt cheeks getting warmer being in such close proximity to Tamaki.

Tamaki’s hand slid under the hem of Iori’s shirt and slowly made its way up his torso. Iori closed his eyes shut, too embarrassed from the sudden intimacy. His body shivered from being touched by Tamaki’s bare hands. Even if it was a dream, there was only so much Iori could take before he would just combust.

“Y-Yotsuba-san! This isn’t appropriate! Even if it’s just a dream you should always ask before t-touching someone like this!” 

Tamaki’s face looked dumbfounded at the sudden change in mood.

“What are you talking about Iorin?”

Taking a deep breath, Iori started his lecture in hopes that Tamaki would understand him clearly, “Yotsuba-san, verbal consent is absolutely important when it comes to this sort of-“

“No, not that. What do you mean by dream?” Tamaki’s expression looked like it was state of confusion.

“This is a dream. You lying next to me is purely a figment of my imagination-“ Before Iori could finish he felt a pinch on his arm. He yelped at the sudden pain. 

“Yotsuba-san! Stop that! It hurts!”

“See? It’s not a dream,” 

Iori froze at the sudden realization of what sort of predicament he was currently in.

“You’re right..” he said exasperated. Tamaki started laughing out loud pulling Iori into his body. Iori could feel Tamaki’s shake from the laughter. Too embarrassed to say anything, Iori looked away.

“Iorin you’re funny,” Tamaki said with a smile.

Trying to still process the situation at hand, Iori needed to gather as many facts as possible. 

“Are we together?” He asked. 

“Haven’t we been dating for a while now?” Tamaki replied as if it was matter of fact.

Iori froze.

“What did you say?” Iori’s face was in a perpetual state of shock.

“I thought you knew that already,”

Iori's facial expression remained the same, unable to process this new information that was flooding his senses. 

“Of course I didn’t! Since when?!”

“When I first kissed you,” Tamaki responded nonchalantly as if it was no big deal.

“You told me that was practice for your drama role-” Iori’s voice became more faint as he continued to process all this new information. 

“You think I just go around kissing random people?” Tamaki asked in return. He looked like he was both concerned and confused. 

“But I didn’t give you a response-,” 

“Didn’t you just confess to me earlier?” 

The realization that Iori confessed his feelings to Tamaki under that guise that he thought this was just a dream had finally hit him. Both of his hands covered his face as it was starting to turn pink from embarrassment.

Peeking his eyes from behind his fingers Iori looked at Tamaki, “I still haven’t been given a response to my confession.”

Tamaki started laughing softly, looking directly at Iori as he moved Iori’s hands away from his embarrassed face. 

“I like you too, Iorin,” Tamaki closed the short distance between them yet again and kissed Iori once more. 

Iori’s heart fluttered as he closed his eyes and kissed back against Tamaki’s lips. Knowing that this moment wasn’t a dream was almost a dream within itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! When I initially wrote Day 7's challenge, I wasn't planning on it to be a continuation of Day 6. However, the more I wrote the more it started to feel like it would have been better as a continuation. The ending for Day 7 was also supposed to end after Iori wakes up from his bad dream and realized how alone he was without Tamaki. However, despite my love for unrequited love, I felt like that was too cruel of a way to end TamaIo week so I ended up making it a happier and hopefully cuter ending!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this! I've been meaning to post this online much sooner but didn't find any motivation until now. Tamaki and Iori's relationship with each other changes over time as they slowly grow to be individuals. This was something I wanted to explore through their sort of everyday interactions with each other. 
> 
> As always, come yell with me over how good these boys are on the bird app @mintyhoneyy.


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